Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, March 13 /Xinhua/ — The National Development Planning Law, adopted at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), is the first regulatory legal act in China's history regulating the national strategic planning system. It will create a legal framework for key decisions regarding China's socioeconomic development, allowing investors, including foreign companies, to plan their activities over the long term. This opinion was expressed by Pavel Troshchinsky, Director of the Center for Political Research and Forecasting at the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICSA RAS), in an interview with Xinhua.
"The National Development Planning Law will, at its core, define the legal framework for China's major future strategies. The law will create a legal foundation for key decisions in national and socioeconomic development, opening up new opportunities for both government and business in various areas of mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.
As P. Troshchinsky noted, until now, five-year plans for national economic and social development and various strategies had the status of party documents or State Council resolutions, making them mandatory for implementation but not codified into law with clear procedures and accountability. "This law legalizes, that is, establishes a legal mechanism for planning: it defines the stages of plan development—from proposal to approval, delineates powers between the center and the regions, and establishes procedures for public review and implementation monitoring," the expert explained, adding that the law transforms planning from a CPC directive into a public legal institution, where development goals become legally binding guidelines for all economic actors.
The Xinhua source also pointed out that the law enshrines the principle of unified planning, ensuring the coordination of spatial, sectoral, and regional development. Furthermore, the law imposes strict continuity requirements. "New plans must logically follow from previous ones, prohibiting abrupt shifts in priorities when local administrations change personnel. The law also regulates mechanisms for adjusting plans in the event of force majeure, making this process transparent and justified," he explained.
According to P. Troshchinsky, the adoption of this law plays a key role in ensuring the stability, continuity, and predictability of China's socioeconomic development. For example, the law legally establishes long-term goals—through 2035 and 2049—making them independent of political cycles and personnel turnover.
The Russian expert emphasized that special attention is being paid to the participation of businesses and experts in the discussion of draft plans, which increases their feasibility and consideration of market factors. "Thus, the law creates a framework for the state's entire socioeconomic policy, linking the party's ideological principles, the government's budgetary capabilities, and market expectations," he said.
Assessing the significance of this law for investors, including Russian businesses, P. Troshchinsky noted that companies receive a guarantee that the "rules of the game" laid out in the current plan will not be rewritten. "Clearly defined planning procedures allow businesses to foresee the state's direction: which industries will be supported, which regions will receive preferences, and where infrastructure construction will be focused. This reduces uncertainty and allows companies to build long-term investment models, confidently investing in joint investment projects with China," the expert asserted.
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